Full Bed project

Just finished this full size bed for my daughter. It is made from pine. It is based on the modern farmhouse bed design created by ana-white.com. I used dowels and mortise and tenon joinery on the headboard and footboard. I also used bed rail brackets so it can be easily disassembled and moved when needed. The finish is General Finishes Java Gel Stain and it is topcoated with 4 coats of their Arm-R-Seal Satin.

Joints are tight and the boards are straight. 1st class job all the way but +1 on the color. Can’t believe pine came out that well. If you don’t mind me asking, where did you get the wood? Box store or saw mill? The pine I get is yellow, that I can’t get to stain well or knotty.

-- Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might,... because there is no work in the grave...Ecclesiastes 9:10

Thanks Eric and XrayJay,I bought all of the wood from the big box store. I searched for the best SYP 2”x 12”’s I could find. I took a lot of time going through the stack. I look for boards that have the tightest growth rings and pith right in the middle of the board. Then, I rip the boards down the middle leaving the quarter sawn boards you see on the footboard. I did not use any 2”x4”s in this project. One note, this wood has a very high moisture content, so you need to plan ahead. It needs months to dry out. I wish I had waited longer than I did as the rails did twist a little on me.

For the finish, I tried multiple stains with and without pre-stain conditioner. None of them were dark enough for my daughter. Finally, I tried the gel stain and she gave me the thumbs up. I actually liked one of the stains with the pre-stain conditioner better. It gave a more even color, but she said it was not dark enough.

Okay, I’m absolutely in awe. I never would have pegged this for pine much less from a big box store. Thank you for adding to your explanation in your reply to comments. There were lessons to be learned for me there about being more selective and to consider ripping down larger boards. This is a seriously great looking bed! Thank you for sharing the pics AND the tips/techniques!

-- VR, Richard "Fear is nothing more than a feeling. You feel hot. You feel hungry. You feel angry. You feel afraid. Fear can never kill you"--Remo Williams